Batteries are commonly used today to power portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, notebook computers, camcorders, digital cameras, digital audio players, and the like. Rechargeable (or “secondary”) cells, i.e., those that can be discharged and then charged again to provide repeated use thereof, are conveniently employed in portable electronic devices. This “rechargeability” feature often makes a rechargeable battery a more attractive choice than a disposable (or “primary”) battery, i.e., a battery that is designed to be discarded after a single discharge.
A conventional rechargeable battery, such as, for example, a lithium-ion battery, typically includes an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator therebetween, and an electrolyte, all disposed in a housing having a closure. The housing may be electrically connected to a printed circuit board (PCB), which, in turn, may include electronic components capable of preventing overcharge or discharge, monitoring battery discharge characteristics, providing battery identification to either the device or charger, and so forth. The PCB typically includes circuitry that forms an electric path between the housing and an external device when the cell is charging or discharging. Tabs can be welded in electrical connection with the electrodes of the battery. The tabs generally add complexity to the design of the battery and to the manufacturing process, and may be a source of increased electrical resistance in the finished battery.
There is a need to provide a battery pack capable of meeting the increased power demands of the rapidly developing a growing market of portable electronic devices. Hence, we have invented a low-resistance battery-pack interconnect that minimizes resistance losses to enable more effective and efficient charge and discharge of a rechargeable battery within the pack. Our invention, we believe, will improve charge-and-discharge characteristics of the rechargeable battery. Furthermore, the invention may lead to less complex manufacturing processes resulting in increased production rate and efficiency.